NEW POLICE CHIEF ON THE JOB AT UC SAN DIEGO

Rose has more than 32 years at school

David Rose was a pre-med student at UC San Diego headed toward a career in medicine when he took a job at the university’s Police Department. He liked it so much he switched majors and career goals — and this month, three decades later, took over as the department’s new chief.

Rose replaces retiring Chief Orville King, who held the post for a dozen years.

“With his experience and knowledge of the university, David Rose is an exceptional choice to lead an agency that is absolutely critical to maintaining the safety and well-being of our campus community,” Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a statement. “I am confident that he will do a tremendous job.”

Rose has worked for more than 32 years at UCSD, beginning as a dispatcher and community service officer when he was a student. After completing the police academy, he was hired as a police officer and promoted to captain in 2009, serving as the department’s second in command.

Rose’s father was a physician and professor of medicine and his mother was a nurse, so he said pre-med seemed a logical choice. But once he began working with the campus Police Department, he decided to make a change.

“I found I really liked the idea of community service and law enforcement,” Rose said in a statement. “It interested me in a way that, probably to my parents’ dismay, medical school just didn’t.”

He switched his major to political science and graduated magna cum laude.

Rose took over his new $155,000-a-year post Monday. As chief, Rose is responsible for overseeing all police functions for the campus and directing and managing strategic and tactical responses to campus emergencies.

Rose was responsible for planning and commanding security for special events featuring high-profile speakers and dignitaries, including former President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative University, as well as visits from the Dalai Lama, the presidents of Peru and El Salvador, and several U.S. lawmakers.

“Dave is a dedicated officer and a highly-tested leader who will play a vital role at UC San Diego, ensuring our campus continues to be as safe as possible,” Gary C. Matthews, vice chancellor of resource management and planning, who oversees the UC San Diego Police Department, said in a statement.

Rose is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., and the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, and has received numerous certificates in managerial and supervisory training from California Peace Officer Standards and Training.